Stop any new arms deals with Bahrain

The Obama administration is currently moving forward with a new set of arms sales to Bahrain despite the well-documented, egregious human rights violations perpetrated by the government against pro-democracy protesters over the past year. Since the start of Bahrain’s ongoing revolution on February 14, 2011, U.S.-manufactured and supplied weapons, including teargas, Humvees and Apache helicopters have been used by the Bahraini government to violently attack civilians. It is time to stop supplying Bahrain with the tools to kill and repress its people.

Despite congressional opposition to a $53 million dollar arms sale to Bahrain, the Obama Administration is pushing through the sale using a legal loophole that would allow him to avoid notifying Congress and the public by breaking up the sales into small packages of under $1 million each.

It is hypocritical for the Obama Administration to condemn the Syrian regime for its brutal crackdown on its people while simultaneously seeking to transfer weapons to the Bahraini government, which is also guilty of massive abuses against its people. The Bahraini government has escalated its attacks on peaceful demonstrators in recent weeks, as the anniversary of the February 14 uprising approaches. During this critical time of transition in the Middle East, the U.S. must end its military support to a government that rejects democratic reform and violently attacks those who seek it.

I strongly oppose all arms sales to Bahrain. President Obama, you must uphold your promise to “stand for principles that include universal rights for all people and just political and economic reform” by standing with the people of Bahrain.

It is hypocritical for your administration to condemn the Syrian regime for its brutal crackdown on its people while simultaneously seeking to transfer weapons to the Bahraini government, which is also guilty of massive abuses against its people.

The Bahraini government has escalated its attacks on peaceful demonstrators in recent weeks, as the anniversary of the February 14 uprising approaches. During this critical time of transition in the Middle East, the U.S. must end its military support to a government that rejects democratic reform and violently attacks those who seek it.